Chilled From Inside the Bottle

There are gadgets and then there are gadgets! Some of them lose their appeal rather quickly and are relegated to the deep, dark confines of the "gadget draw" − never to be seen again! We are happy to tell you, the Corkcicle is not such a creature.

Keeping wine at the correct serving/drinking temperature is not always so easy and straightforward. What is the correct temperature and how do you maintain it? Last February, KosherEye had the pleasure of interviewing the late great Israeli wine expert, Daniel Rogov. We were so fascinated with his vast storehouse of wine knowledge, that we devoted two articles to the subject so that we could include everything he shared with us. One of the questions we asked him was:

Should wine be served chilled or at room temperature?D.R. "The average room temperature differs around the world... red wine should not be served at room temperature – it should be slightly chilled. Refrigerate reds for about 30–40 minutes. If it does have a chill when it is served, no problem, it will warm up in the glass. White wines should be served chilled but not so cold that it masks the flavors and aromas."

Realistically speaking, the average person does not chill red wine and we certainly weren't aware of the fact that serving red wine at room temperature does not enhance the flavor − we know now. Keeping white wine cool can also pose a problem: messy, dripping wine buckets – that is if you even use one. After the bottles are opened and have been sitting out for awhile, the chill is gone. There are several options available for keeping wine chilled but none like the Corkcicle.

It is so simple to use and its design is so unique that it is a topic of conversation. It looks like a long icicle with a cork on top and it fits into the wine bottle−corked on top−and chills the wine from inside the bottle. Just store it in the freezer and, when ready to use, insert into the wine bottle and you are set to go. The Corkcicle maintains the correct temperature for up to an hour. By that time, you should be on your second bottle! Please note, that white wine should already be chilled.

The purpose of the Corkcicle is to maintain the proper wine temperature; it will bring a slightly warm red wine down to a more enjoyable temperature in around ten to fifteen minutes and will keep a chilled white wine cold for about one hour.

Some features of the Corkcicle:

Non–toxic thermal gel enclosed in a BPA–free plastic icicle designed to hold the temperature

Stores in the freezer. Place in the freezer (for at least two hours) before usage

Insert frozen Corkcicle into a chilled bottle of white wine or a room temperature bottle of red wine

After using, just rinse, dry and refreeze

Reusable over and over and over

From Ben Hewitt, partner Corkcicle, "When you invest in a bottle of wine, you invest in the experience of drinking that bottle...temperature probably plays the greatest role in drinking that bottle of wine." So, enhance your wine experience and use the Corkcicle. It will become a permanent resident in your freezer; in fact you may want to keep several, as you will certainly use them.